Alfred Hrdlicka
28.02.- 03.04.08
Galerie Ernst Hilger
Dorotheergasse 5
A- 1010 Vienna
Tel: 43-1-512 53 15
Fax: 43-1-513 91 26
http://www.hilger.at
Until 1961, Alfred HRDLICKA made his living by taking on occasional jobs. After his first show (1960), his work gained public attention (sculptures, paintings, etchings), which constituted a revolt against abstract art. The main topics of his artistic dialogue were references to history, as well as political polemic or acts of sexuality. His sculptures are mostly column-like figures. They are, for example, allegories of heroic fighters or of oppression, massacre and suffering. They reflect his studies of agony, fear, pain, harassment and torture, and how these feelings influence and affect human appearance. His cycles of works (etchings and paintings) deal with such topics as sex and crime (Martha Beck, Haarmann), wars and revolutions, with their outbreaks of violence (French Revolution, 1848, 20th July 1944), and renowned persons from art and cultural history (R. Wagner, Rodin, Tizian, Mondrian). His works are messy, yet full of drive, portraying dynamic scenes in specific settings, with a wealth of sentiments and emotions.
Alfred HRDLICKA was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1928. From 1946 to 1957 he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna. (painting with Guetersloh and Dobrowsky, and sculpture with Wotruba). In 1960 he had his first show in Vienna; in 1964 he represented Austria at the 32nd Biennale in Venice. For 25 years he taught at fine-art academies in Hamburg, Stuttgart and Berlin, as well as at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna until 1996. He lives and works in Vienna.
For further information please contact the gallery: ernst.hilger@hilger.at
Galerie Ernst Hilger — since 1971.
